Albright, William Foxwell

Albright, William Foxwell

(1891–1971) archaeologist, biblical scholar; born in Coquimbo, Chile. Son of missionaries, he came to the U.S.A. at age 12. He directed the American School of Oriental Research, Jerusalem (1920–29, 1933–36), and taught at Johns Hopkins (1929–58). An authority on biblical languages and commentator on the Dead Sea scrolls, he brought archaeology and linguistics to bear on biblical studies, identified numerous biblical villages during many Middle Eastern expeditions, and authored 800 publications.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.